Fool's Gold (Part One)
by Circuit 347
Summary: Steven heals a corrupted gem one day in a battle. Only problem is that this gem, Pyrite, can't be trusted. While she's not exactly diehard for Homeworld, she's a master pick pocket. The Crystal Gems leave Pyrite in the barn so Lapis and Peridot can watch her, but will they survive her thieving ways? Will they become accomplinces?


"Gaaaarrrrnet!" Steven whined in exasperation. His stomach growled. "Can't we stop at the Big Donut first?"

"No," Garnet stated. "The corrupted gem is too close to Beach City to wait,"

"We'll make a ham samwich for you later," Pearl decided.

The Crystal Gems, including Lapis and Peridot, were in Steven's room, preparing for a battle. It was early in the morning, so Pearl had to literally _drag_ Steven out of bed. Despite Steven's protests, there was no time for breakfast.

"Here's a bag of Chaps," Amytheist said, yawning. She tossed Steven a bag of chips.

Steven looked at the bag and frowned. "It reminds me too much of Centapeetle."

"Who cares? It's food," Peridot said with an over exaggerated eye roll. "Let's go, already!"

The gems, and Lion, set out down the beach, far from the city.

Wrecking havoc was a corrupted gem. It was a gold colored octopus... thing. It's gem was located below it's bulbous head in the area Steven assumed was it's chest.

The gem was using it's tentacles to fling rocks at no particular target and screeching loudly. This thing would definitely endanger the residents of Beach City.

"Amytheist and Peridot, you're gonna distract it," Garnet said. She adjusted her glasses, causing Steven to wince as the sun hit them at the wrong angle. "Lead it toward the water so Lapis can conjure chains to it's tentacles. Pearl and I will weaken it however we can,"

"What do I get to do?" Steven asked eagerly.

"Whatever you feel like," Garnet replied.

"I feel like getting a donut,"

"Steven, you're gonna become obese!" Pearl scolded, slapping the back of her right hand against her left palm. "Will you please eat something other than donuts and fry bits?"

Steven looked at his rather oversized stomach. "I'm not obese! This is baby fat!"

"Can we get on with it, already and concern ourselves with Steven's weight later?" Lapis complained.

"Lapis is right," Garnet deducted. She pulled out a ten dollar bill amd handed it to Steven. "Bring back a box of cherry filled donuts, okay?"

Pearl gauked as Steven grinned ear to ear.

"Now, let's get to work," Garnet added.

While Steven was gone, the other gems fought long and hard with the octopus.

"Lapis! The chains!" Garnet yelled as she pounded the octopus's bulbous wet body in the direction of the sea. Amytheist charged toward it with a spin dash, but the octopus used a jet stream of water from (whatever the place the ink comes out of is called) to launch itself into the air. It landed on top of...

"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Peridot screeched. Her voice was muffled by the octopus. "Get this thing's butt off me!"

Pearl took her spear and stabbed the octopus in it's gigantic head. It screeched as it's form dissipated in a cloud of dust. The yellow square shaped gem fell into the sand.

Peridot sat up and began to frantically spit out ink.

"Gross, gross, gross!" she chucked some sand toward Amytheist. "You shouldn't have cornered it like that, you clod!"

"Get over it, Per," Lapis scolded tiredly. She rubbed her temples. Oh, how the other gems acted like human children. In her opinion, Steven was more mature than all of them.

Speaking of whom, Steven came skipping down the beach with a bag of donuts.

"Hey, guys!" he chirped. He handed to bag to Garnet and took a peek at the gem Pearl was currently weighing in her hand.

"Can I try to heal it?" he asked her.

"Remember what happened with Centapeetle?" Pearl reminded.

"We _did_ get some good dirt about the Diamonds from her," Amytheist pointed out. "Besides, she's happy with the other centapeetles now. We helped her."

Garent took the gem from Pearl and handed it to Steven. "It wouldn't hurt to try,"

Steven raised the gem to his face and licked it. The gem immediately began to glow. Everyone gasped as it floated from Steven's grasp and projected the sillhoutte of a woman in gold light.

The silhouette began to materialize. The now physical gem collapsed to the sandy ground, panting heavily.

She had yellowish white skin and long gold hair that cascaded to her waist. Her body was delicate and skinny like Pearl's, but her thighs were just a little bit thicker. She was dressed in a black leotard, black boots, and a darl yellow cloak. Her gem radiated a soft glow from her chest.

"Uh... Miss?" Steven asked hesitantly. She looked at him with wide, gold eyes.

"Why'd you free me?"

"Because I wanted to,"

Steven offered the freed gem his hand. "I'm Steven Universe. And you are?"

"Pyrite," she replied. She took Steven's hand. He heaved her to her feet. Seeing her up close, she was actually pretty short. She wasn't that much taller than Steven.

"How'd you get corrupted?" Garnet asked seriously.

"Well, I guess Galena was right when she said you Crystal Gems don't beat around the bush." she smirked, almost condescendingly. "Well, I'm from Homeworld, so deal with it. I was fighting in some battle when there was this sonic boom and a light in the sky. Next thing I know, I'm stuck as an octopus. I've been like that for, oh, five thousand years or so. I kinda lost count."

"Just like Centapeetle!" Steven blurted.

Pyrite looked at him with a mix of confusion and patronization.

That's when Steven noticed that she was holding_ his cellphone!_

"Gimme that back!" he demanded. He reached forward and grabbed it from her grasp.

"I didn't know it was yours," Pyrite said innocently. She even added a fake quiver in her voice for effect.

"Pyrites are prone to common thievery," Peridot explained. "It's a flaw in their makeup. They do it impulsively."

Pyrite slightly winced at the word _flaw_.

"Heh, I like you already," Amytheist chuckled. She held her fist up to Pyrite for a fist bump. Pyrite just stared.

"Should we or shouldn't we trust her?" Pearl asked suspiciously.

"We'll ponder that later. For now, let's leave her with Lapis and Peridot," Garnet said. She turned to Lapis and Peridot. "Can you two handle her?"

"Aye, Garnet!" Peridot said in determination. She even saluted.

"Whatever," Lapis sighed. It was quite obvious from her facial expression that she didn't like the idea.

Later...

"Lapis, have you seen my bow tie?" Peridot yelled at Lapis, whom was resting on the loft of the farm.

"No," Lapis replied. "Have you seen the TV?"

"No,"

As if on cue, Pyrite walked in. Something bulged behind her cloak and she was wearing Peridot's bow tie.

Lapis and Peridot exchanged weary glances.

"Oy, governors," Pyrite greeted in a fake British accent. "How's the riff raff?"

Lapis rolled her eyes and Peridot marched toward her angrily.

"You clod!" Peridot yelled. She swiped the bow tie from Pyrite's chest. "What makes you think you can just go around stealing my stuff!"

Pyrite gasped, like she had been offended. "_Moi__?!_ You insult me! I'd never-"

She was cut off as a TV fell out of her cloak and hit the floor with a thud.

"You were saying?" Lapis said coolly. She used her wings to fly from the loft to the ground level right next to Peridot.

"Okay, fine," Pyrite sighed in defeat with her palms up. "So I'm a bit of a pick pocket. Is that a crime?"

"Yes," Lapis and Peridot said in unison.

"Well, I don't care," Pyrite remarked. She turned on her heel, but looked back over her shoulder. "I'm planning a heist tonight. I was wondering if maybe... you two could help me?"

"In your dreams," Lapis retorted. "We're not thieves,"

"Oh, c'mon," Pyrite cooed. She leaned against the door frame. "I heard of this... human thing called a 'car'. I looked at a few and they actually seem pretty fun to ride if used at their full potential. I thought that maybe the three of us could borrow one and have some fun,"

"No way," Peridot said.

"Don't be such a..." Pyrite paused, trying to remember. "What was the word? A _clod__?"_

Peridot immediately became red faced. Lapis tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Okay," Lapis agreed.

"But the other gems would KILL us!" Peridot argued, gauking at her friend.

"What have _humans_," Pyrite spat out the word as if it were a curse word. "ever done for us? We deserve at least a little fun,"

"As long as we don't plan to keep the car." Lapis added.

Peridot sighed and massaged her temples. "Fine. We'll do it."


End file.
